Rotary steam motor or engine.



"1m. 1534,9159; Patented Oct. 17, I889. A. WAHLE. ROTARY STEAM MOTOR ORENGINE.

' (Application filed Feb. 14, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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ATNT Fritz.

ROTARY STEAM MOTOR OR ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 634,969, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed February 14,1898. Serial No. 670,218. We model.)

To ctZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADOLPH \VAHLE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Steam Motors orEngines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters andnumerals of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to rotary steam motors or engines 3 and its objectis to provide a sim ple and economically-constructed steam-turbine wheelin which the power is applied in a centrifugal manner, so that the fullpressure of the steam can be exerted thereon first nearest the point ofgreatest resistancenamely, the fulcrum or center of revolution-.

and then expends its force during its outward course at points of lessresistance, until as it issues from the turbine it exhausts its finaleffort by an impact whereby the maximum results are obtained. This Iaccomplish by the mechanism hereinafter fully described, and asparticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention, showing apart of the casing broken away and showing a part of the turbine insection. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof, showing part of the casingbroken away. Fig. 3 is a front view of the inner funnel shaped part ofthe turbine wheel. Fig. at is a rear view of the outer funnel-shapedpart of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of the shaft of the motor.

In the drawings, A and B represent the front and rear halves of thecasing of my improved motor, between and within which the turbine ishoused. The front half A has a suitable base-plate A cast integranttherewith, and has a circular-shaped casing or shell ft, the edges ofwhich are flanged backward, so as to provide it with short cylindricalsides, the inner surface of which is provided with lengthwisecorrugations b. The center of this front half of the shell to ispreferably sunken in and provided with a suit able bearing 2 for thedrive-shaftO, and a short distance removed from and in front of thisbearing is another bearing 3, supported by legs 4, cast integrant withand consisting of two suitable webs of metal projecting forward fromshell a. The rear half of the casing consists of a bowl-shaped shell cl,corresponding in diameter to shell a, and has its edges bearing and heldagainst the annular edges of said shell to form a butt-joint bysetscrews 5. The shaft 0 passes through but does not necessarily havebearings in the center of shell cl, although said opening is keptsteam-tight by a suitable nut 6.

The rear end of shaft 0 extending beyond shell d is journaled insuitable bearings in the ends of a tubular boss D, supported by abracket secured to and projecting from the rear of shell (1. The bore ofthe central portion of this boss is considerably greater in diameterthan in the end portions thereof and forms an initial steam-chamberf,and it has a short stub leading up from this initial chamber, to whichan intake steam-pipe E is connected. Beyond a the rearmostbearingsurface provided by this boss D the diameter of the here isenlarged for the reception of packing F, which is held in place by theglandnut G. g

The shaft C has a gear 7, secured thereon between its bearing in theshell CL and the forward bearing 3 thereof, and is preferably of thesame diameter from said gear 7 to a point near where it passes throughshell d. At this latter point it is increased in diameter so as toprovide a shoulder g, the forward face of which is inclined at a more orless obtuse angle to the plane of the center of revolution of saidshaft, and the rear side of which iscone-shaped and has a portionjournaled in the bearing opening in shell d, if desired. That portion ofshaft 0 in the rear of shoulder g is made hollow to provide alongitudinal steam-passage h therethrough from the pipe E to the saidshoulder g. Its rear end is stopped by a suitable plug 8, and thatportion of it revolving in the initial steam-chamberf is provided with aseries of radial steamports, communicating with said initial stean'rchamber and the said steam-passage h.

. The forward end of steam-passage h, which terminates just about backof the rear coneshaped side of shoulder g, has a series of steamconduits03 diverging therefrom, preferably at equal distances apart,which extendthrough said shoulder, preferably at right angles to the forwardinclined surface thereof, in which latter I make a concentric circulargroove g, which connects the forward ends of said conduits. Surroundingshaft 0 and secured against the forward face of shoulder g is a centralboss It of a steam-turbine H. The face of the boss bearing againstshouldergis concaved so as to conform to the inclination thereof, and itis provided with a series of central delivery-ducts corresponding innumber to conduits and open to and extending in alinement with the samethrough the boss and to and discharging into the grooved chutes K in theexterior surface of said turbine.

Turbine His of a funnel shape, and it is held firmly against shoulder gby the pressure of a strong coil expansion-spring .I, surrounding shaft0, against the inner side of its central boss by a collar m, suitablykeyed to said shaft. A plain nut on shaft 0 could be made to answer thesame purpose. I prefer the means described and shown, however.

The chutes K are preferably simple grooves of sufficient depth made inthe outer inclined surface of its funnel-shaped exterior, and theircourse in transit from the boss 70 to its rim 0 describes an evolute. Inorder to close these chutes K, the turbine is provided with acorresponding funnel-shaped cover L, the central opening of which isflanged, so as to fit snugly over the cylindrical sides of boss 7a,which latter has a portion screw-threaded, and is engaged by a nut 12 tosecure said cover tightly in place. The rim 0 of the turbine terminatesin the transverse plane of the corrugations b of shell a and is flangedoutward and backward slightly, so as to form an annular channel orgroove 8, within which the outer circular edges 9 of the cover areseated and confined by the manipulation of said nut n. The outer ends ofchutes K find outlet by openings 1 and .9, made in a tangential planethrough the rim 0 and edges 9 of the cover.

The operation of my invention is substantially as follows: The steamenters the initial steam-chamberfrom theintake-pipe and then passesthrough the steam-ports into the hollow bore or steam-passage in therear portion of shaft 0. From the steam-passage it passes into andthrough the diverging conduits in the shoulder g of said shaft and thenenters the ducts leading to the chutes in the turbine, and then finallypasses into said chutes and out through the openings in the rim thereof,whereupon it is expelled forcibly against the corrugations of the shelld. hen the steam leaves the conduits and ducts, its effort is to travelin a straight line. This tendency when it enters the chutes and itsconstant disposition to fly off on a tangent as it traverses the curvedchutes cause the turbine to revolve. This revolution is furthermaterially assisted by the forcible expulsion of the steam in atangential direction from the rim of said turbine against thecorrugations of the shell a, after which the steam exhausts from theturbine chamber out through the exhaust-opening T in the rear shell (I,as shown.

hile not as desirable as the construction I have hereinbefore described,it is apparent th at other constructions could be devised that wouldpermit the steam to find access and be delivered centrally to theturbine hereinbefore described. All such modifications I desire to beconsidered as contemplated within the spirit of my invention, theprincipal feature of which is said turbine.

What I claim as new is 1. In a rotary steam motor or engine, a suitableshaft,acentral-delivery turbine mounted thereon the outer surface ofwhich is conical and is provided with chutes traversing it in properdirection from its circumference to said shaft, and an outside covertherefor the concavity of which conforms to the conical exterior of saidturbine, in combination with a suitable case for said turbine having asuitable exhaust-port.

2. In a rotary steam motor or engine, a suitable shaft having its rearportion hollow and connected with a suitable steam-intake, acentral-delivery turbine mount-ed on said shaft, the outer surface ofwhich is conical and traversed by chutes extending from its circum--ference to and communicating with the hollow portion of said shaft andan outside cover therefor the concavity of which conforms to the conicalexterior of said turbine, in combination with a suitable case having anexhaust-port.

3. In a rotary steam motor or engine, a suitable shaft, a central-delivery turbine mounted thereon the outer surface of which is conicaland is traversed by chutes extending from its circumference to saidshaft, and an outside cover therefor the concavity of which conforms tothe conical exterior of said turbine, in combination with a suitablecase the inner surface of which is substantially concentric to saidturbine and is provided with corrugations against which the peripheraldischarge of said turbine impinges.

4:. In a rotary steam motor or engine, a suitable shaft having its rearportion hollow and connected with a suitable steam-intake, acentral-delivery turbine mounted on said shaft the outer surface ofwhich is conical and traversed by chutes extending from itscircumference to and communicating with the hollow portion of saidshaft, and an outside cover therefor, the concavity of which conforms tothe conical exterior of said turbine in combination with a suitable casethe inner surface of the sides of which are concentric to said turbineand is provided with corrugations against which the peripheral dischargeof said turbine impinges.

5. In a rotary steam motor or engine, a shaft having its rear portionhollow: its rear end closed: radial steam-ports therein and a suitableshoulder having diverging conduits therethrough communicating with thehollow portion of the shaft, the bearing in which the hollow portion ofsaid shaft is journal'ed, l1aving its inner circumference between itsends increased in diameter to provide an initialsteam-chambersurrounding said steam-ports, a central-delivery turbinemounted on said shoulder and having duets therethrough and having anouter funnel-shaped portion the conical exterior of which is traversedby chutes extending from its circumference to 10' and communicating withsaid ducts and a funnel-shaped cover for said exterior surface of theturbine, in combination with a suitable case for said turbine having anexhaust-port.

6. In a rotary steam motor or engine a shaft having its rear portionhollow and o0n1- municatin g with a suitable steam-intake, and

= to said shaft and coil-spring between the same and said turbine and asuitable case for said turbine, as set forth.

ADOLPII XVAHLE. Witnesses:

H. F. D. STAMMER, J. H. BENDIXEN.

